Rumors
by Latinpro
Summary: Rumors say that the Black Pearl has sunk in the middle of the Caribbean, taking Captain Jack Sparrow and his attacker along with it. But how true are these rumors and who would profit from the pirate’s demise?
1. Prologue: Thief's Bargain

A/N: Alas, I still do not own Cap'n Jack. In fact, I don't even own POTC. But I have seen it 3 times. All I have is my Jack plushy doll and snickerdoodle cookies, and no one can take those away from me! Although I admit that Captain Ross, Miss Molly, and the wicked Everlin are mine. Use em if ya want, just give me credit. Also, I gave Jack a bit of a background name- there's a little Easter egg there for you Latin students to find. That's what I get for reading Catullus! (Hint, hint) 

**Prologue: Thief's Bargain**

The ship's captain, fresh off the boat, clutched his tricorn hat in his hand and smoothed his ponytail back to make sure that the bow was still tied neatly. He took a deep breath and knocked upon the door to his employer's house. _You bloody coward_, he told himself. _You act as though the man will try to lop your head off. It's not your head he's after. It's that pirate's._ Minutes later, a butler opened the door and showed the captain in. "Mister Everlin is on the verandah, captain. Might I take your coat and hat?"

            "No, thank you. I shall not be long."

            "As you wish, sir." The butler escorted the captain out of the home and onto the screened porch where a man was sitting in a wicker chair. "Mister Everlin, Captain Charles Ross here as you requested."

            "Thank you, Sumner. Fix us some tea, would you?"

            "Yes, sir." Sumner the butler left to prepare the tea, closing the doors behind him. Everlin motioned toward an identical wicker chair and smiled rather toothily. "Captain Ross," he began, a cold aristocratic accent punctuating his words, "I trust you know why you are here."

            "Concerning a pirate, sir? As you said in the letter?"

            "Indeed. I assume that you have heard tales of the dread ship _Black Pearl?" Everlin felt a feral pleasure at watching the good captain blanch at the mention of the pirate ship. "Th-the vessel crewed by the condemned, sir?"_

            "The same. It has changed hands recently, reverting to its original captain, James Passer. Perhaps you know of whom I speak?" Captain Ross nodded, a nervous feeling in the pit of his stomach intensifying. "Jack Sparrow," he said quietly. 

            "You _are clever, captain. Yes, the rather infamous ne'er-do-well Jack Sparrow is back and my shipping trade is the worse off for it." Captain Ross looked over at Everlin with large, almost fearful eyes. "How do I fit into this, sir? I'm only one of the captains in your fleet. We have few men who know how to fight onboard. What are you proposing?" Ross jumped as the door opened revealing Sumner with the tea. As the captain took hold of his cup, Everlin noted with some satisfaction, his hands shook and splashed several drops of tea into the saucer. "Captain Ross, I want you to engage the _Black Pearl_." Ross's eyes grew as large as the saucer he was holding. "S-sir? __Engage the _Black Pearl_ in combat? _We_ fire upon __them? Sir, that's suicide!"_

            "Not likely, captain. Hear me out. I want just you and a few of my more…loyal associates on board our fastest ship, the _Fleet Runner_. Note in your captain's log that you are heading for Nassau Port and that the fastest way is the strait near Tortuga, but you are nervous about a certain band of pirates roaming the waters. On the fifth day, make a long note about how you encountered the _Black Pearl_ and how, by means of a lucky shot, you made a rather large hole in the starboard side with your cannons and how you and your crew watched the ship go down and all the pirates drown. After this entry, say that you cannot continue to Nassau and return immediately to Port Royal. I will take over from there." Ross set his tea down on a nearby table and looked shocked at the plan. "What if Sparrow shows up to show that he's really not dead?" Everlin rolled his eyes and sighed. "Then we'll kill him for keeps and keep it quiet. It's a simple plan, Captain Ross, in which everyone benefits. I benefit from more money being poured into my company by reassured investors. My investors benefit because knowing Sparrow, he will show up and I will follow through on the plan, resulting in no more real pirates in the Spanish Main. And you will receive a large reward and credit for being the man who finally killed Jack Sparrow. Do we have an agreement, Captain?" Ross looked at his hands and sighed heavily. "We do, Mister Everlin. I will not disappoint you."

            "For your sake and that of your family, I hope not." Ross looked up into the man's eyes to find the undertone of menace laced through his voice and saw only cold gray, gray like the fog of England.

Captain Charles Ross rode home slowly that evening, troubled for what he was going to do. As he tipped the driver and removed his baggage, the door opened and a young woman flew out. She still had on a day dress but her hair had been taken down for the night. "Father!" she cried happily, throwing her arms around his waist.

            "Molly Jane! I trust you've behaved yourself?" She smiled up at him as he kissed her cheek and placed something into her hands. "Here," he said, "take this. I brought it back from traders in Bermuda." By the light of the setting sun, the girl inspected her father's acquisition. "Why, it's another pineapple!"

            "Yes, put it in the window so that everyone can see that I'm home. I suspect we'll be getting some visitors from the city?" He looked over her face with a soft glance. "Like some good local lads, perhaps?"

            "Don't be silly, Father." As he carried his own small pack into the home, he couldn't help but notice how much Molly Jane had changed in the past several weeks. Her hair was still an ordinary shade of brown, her eyes were still dark brown to match her hair, her figure was still nothing to fawn over, but something was different. Later that night, Ross finally figured out what had changed about his daughter. Deep down, he knew that he would die going after this foolish venture of Everlin's and that he would never see his Molly Jane again. That's what was different. He was seeing his daughter for the last time, for the pirate captain Jack Sparrow would dispatch him, honestly and cleanly at least, for attacking the _Black Pearl_.


	2. The Pawn

A/N: I still own nothing. All I have are the snickerdoodles and the Jack Sparrow plushie. Sorry this took so long in getting out, guys- Jack didn't want to talk to me. ;) Every time I tried to write his accent, I kept getting Aussie instead of Drunk Pirate and he kept sounding too corny. Writing is a lot like standardized testing- if you get stuck, skip the section you're having issues with and go directly to the next question or paragraph. After many visits to the official website to listen to clips, I finally decided he was in character enough to still be recognizable as Jack Sparrow. So here it is, enjoy!

**Chapter One: The Pawn**

Captain Jack Sparrow of the _Black Pearl was doing one of his favorite things besides seeing Tortuga lasses and drinking rum; he was on the open water on his own boat with a loyal crew. The only thing that could ruin a perfectly good morning such as this was the merciless Caribbean sun that beat down upon them, trying to fry them like eggs from the inside out. __We're devils and black sheep and really bad eggs, Jack thought to himself with a grin. _If His Majesty's Royal Navy can't hang us, and other pirates can't outfight us, then they'll all just have to let the sun bake us._ "I'll never tire of that song," Jack told himself quietly, swaying partly from the waves and partly from rum. As he hummed a few more bars, he spotted something large in the water far ahead of them. "Mr. Gibbs," he called, "pray tell, is that a ship ahead?" Gibbs appeared next to him with a spyglass in hand. As he looked out toward the ship, he smiled. "Cap'n, merchant ship on the horizon dead ahead." Jack turned toward his first mate and he wore a rather cheery looking smirk. "Prepare to rob, pillage, plunder, and do whatever we do best, Mr. Gibbs."_

            "Aye aye, sir." Gibbs began giving commands to prepare to board to all the hands that were available. 

This day was already starting out good.

In stark contrast to the freedom felt by Jack Sparrow, Charles Ross sat in his cabin, feeling like a prisoner on his own ship. According to Everlin's plan, all he had to do was sit here and write. So far all he had written was the date and a few flourishes around it. Dipping the pen nub into the ink pot, he began matter-of-factly, just as he did when he was really keeping a captain's log.

            _7 August, 1756__ Anno Domini_

_                                    I have decided against taking the longer route to __Nassau__Port__ via the Caymans and the __Strait__ of __Florida__ for the swifter, even                                               more dangerous route through the _Windward Passage__ near ___Hispaniola__ and __Tortuga_ (the dangerous port known for pirates and                            other unsavory characters.) This was a difficult course to chart, as the ___Strait__ of __Florida__ offers storms and many captains fall prey                                     to these wild winds and then to poor navigation and __Tortuga_ offers pirates and smugglers roaming the waters like a swarm of                                       bees. Whatever happens, I shall take full responsibility for whatever may lie ahead for us. __

_            Capt. C. Ross_

Rather dissatisfied, Ross put down his quill and sighed. This kind of subterfuge was not in his blood. He had never fancied himself a clever fellow, but here he was, helping to fool an unwitting public and to draw out a dangerous outlaw. In short, he was playing the patsy. Without warning one of the "loyal associates" of Everlin burst into his cabin, packing pistols into his sash. "We've been spotted by pirates. You need to come up deck at once." Ross rose and strapped on his sword and picked up his own pistol. This was a toss up between an actual pirate attack or a strategic mutiny. As he rushed up to the poop deck of the _Fleet Runner_, Ross saw that it was indeed a legitimate pirate attack. A ship with black sails was no more than 100 feet away from them, and Ross could make out the name of the ship quite clearly: _Black Pearl_.

The crew of the _Fleet Runner_, five of Everlin's cronies, made their way to the powder room and set fuses near each of the powder kegs. The fuses were long, which gave them approximately fifteen minutes until the ship blew. They loaded the ship's cannons with all the shot they could find and set the cannons toward the _Black Pearl. "Fire!" one cried as the cannon shot its weapon and recoiled back. The shot sailed across the small expanse of sea between the two and landed two meters from the __Pearl. On deck, Jack was not pleased. "Just because of that, I'm thinking about not giving any quarter, Mr. Gibbs. What say you?"_

            "Find the dog who shot it, and no mercy to him, cap'n."

            "I shall take that suggestion. I wouldn't wanna add 'Murder of Innocents' to my rather long list of charges." Jack swaggered off for his effects, adding, "B'sides, their gunner or the mate is a poor shot." Onboard the _Fleet Runner, Captain Ross felt a wave of terror go through him. __This wasn't supposed to happen. I was only supposed to say that I had run into the Black Pearl__, not actually_ run into her! What have I done to myself?_ Gathering any and all courage he had left in him, he gathered his pistol and ceremonial sword and ran up deck to confront the pirates. The crew had beaten him to the fighting with the cannons that had so annoyed Jack Sparrow, a rather bad move in the eyes of Ross. "Men!" the captain of the doomed ship called as loud as he could, "Cease firing at once! Give them any cargo we have and let each ship be about its different way!" With those words, five sailors ran back up to the captain. "Let's simply fight them to the death," one yelled. "We've got swords, shot, and pistols! We'll attack 'em when they board, mates!" Ross drew out his pistol from his sash. "Any man who touches any weapon with the express purpose of disobeying my orders will be charged with mutiny! They have the benefit of numbers, weaponry, and higher speeds. We shall honorably surrender to a more powerful foe!" The same sailor who had lit the cannon surged forward and knocked the pistol out of Ross's hand. "Hang your surrender! This ship's goin' down, and we aren't staying to be captured by pirates or blown up by our own powder." He suddenly laughed cruelly. "You pathetic patsy! That pistol's not even loaded! We took all the pistol shot off before we set sail. Couldn't risk ya doing anything stupid, mate, like trying to escape and go back. Do you know how much this ship is insured at Lloyd's for? And with the sudden death of a 'loyal captain' at the hands of lawless pirates, the entire British Empire will be clamoring for the hangins' to start. Go be a good captain- die honorably." He turned back to the other hands. "To the ship, mates." The five traitors ran to the only lifeboat with all the weapons but one pistol, one sword, and useless cannons. Fear gnawed at Ross's insides. _I'm going to die,_ he told himself. _I'm going to die and I will never be avenged. My family will sink into poverty and they will all die alone and poor._ Tears welling in his eyes, Ross headed for the helm and decided, at least, to let the pirates say that when he had gone down, he had gone down as a captain._

Jack Sparrow drew a sword from the Pearl's armory and tested it with a hair. Razor sharp. He slid it carefully through his sash and loaded his pistol. He didn't really expect a fight- there rarely was one. But just in case. "Mr. Gibbs," he called to his first mate, "are we ready?"

            "Aye."

            "Good. Let's earn our keep."

Ross had heard the rumors about the pirates, everyone had. But a bulge had formed in his throat. He was afraid of dying. As he stood at the helm, he too tested his sword with a hair. But his hand trembled. _I'm not a warrior. I'm just someone's cover. A thunk sounded, the boarding plank being dropped. _It's my time.__


End file.
